Ricky Gervais asked to host Globes again

Los Angeles - Ricky Gervais has been asked to host the Golden Globe Awards again.

The British funnyman caused controversy earlier this year with his second stint in charge at the prestigious ceremony - which saw him poke fun at a string of stars including Robert Downey Jr, Charlie Sheen and Hugh Hefner, as well as organisers the Hollywood Foreign Press Association - and is surprised to have been asked to return again next year, though he is unlikely to take up the offer.

He said: "NBC have offered me it, they think they can swing the Hollywood Foreign Press. I love NBC, I love the fact they stuck by me through it."

Asked if he was considering the offer, he added: "I am but I shouldn't do it. It's a second encore. Don't do a second encore. I don't think I should do it. What am I going back as?"

Ricky admitted he "never expected" the backlash from critics after his last stint in charge, but insists he never set out to shock or did anything overly controversial.

Speaking at the Media Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, he said: "Just because you are offended doesn't mean you are right. People fall into this myth that I'm a shock comedian. I've never been that. People say I crossed the line but I didn't draw the f**king line, you did.

"It wasn't a roomful of wounded soldiers. It was the most privileged people on the planet who spend all day pretending to be someone else. I teased them, I ribbed them."

The 'Office' star also revealed he had been asked to present the coveted Academy Awards - known as the Oscars - but would never accept the job.

He explained: "They said to my agent would he like to be on our list. I couldn't do the Oscars. It's a thankless task for a comedian. They don't want to hear jokes, they want to hear if they have won the most important award of their career."